Apparatus for charging containers with inert gas and materials



M. WAGNER Dec. s, 1939.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING CONTAINERS WITH INERT GAS AND MATERIALS Filed Dec. 19, 1 936 s sheets-sheet 1 F/. JA

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M. WAGNER Dec. 5, 1939.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING CONTAINERS WITH INERT GAS AND MATERIALS Filed Deo. 19, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 l I fl Il I j I [N VE N TOR M5L V//V d/VER BY A TTORNE YS'.

Dec. 5, i939. M. WAGNER 2,182,187

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING CONTAINERS WITH INERT GAS AND MATERIALS Filed Dec. 19, 193e 5 sheets-sheet s 1N VEN role Maw/v Af/vie.

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-Dec. 5, 1939. M. WAGNER 2,182,187

APPARATUS Fon CHARGING CONTAINERS WITH INEM-GAS AND MATERIALS Filed Deo. 19, 19356v A5.Shee\.s-Shee'f. 4

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,/Ni/ENTR Dec. 5, 1939. M. WAGNER APPARATUS FOR CHARGING'CONTAINERS WITH INERT GAS AND MATERIALS Filed Dec. 19, 1936 5 sheets-sheet 5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT o-FFlcE APPARATUS FOR QHARGIG CONTAINERS WITH INERT GAS AND MATERIALS Melvin Wagner, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Liquid Carbonicy Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application December 19, 1936, Serial No. 116,807

14 Claims.

My invention relates to an apparatus for the filling of a container, the charging of a container with an inert gas, and the placing of that container within a carton and the subsequent sealing of the container with the inert gas therein prior to the sealing of the carton over the con-4 tainer.

It is the object of my invention to provide means of ilushing a container of its content of air by an inert gas and in particular by an'inert gas that is heavier than air.

It is my object to provide an apparatus which will pick up a ilat container, open the container, at least partially, and thereafter place the container in position to have its air content usiied and its inert gas content supplied and its load or materials inserted. i

Itis my further object to provide an apparatus which will load such a container into a carton 'and thereafter seal the top of the container prior to the sealing of the carton.

It is a further object of my invention to proerated mechanism for kloading a container with inert gas and with the materials to be sealed within the container and for moving the ycon-A tainer into a carton.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 isv a top plan view of the feeding hopper of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of a mechanism for automatically picking up a container, placing it on an expanding mandrel, and thereafter moving it into position to be loaded into its carton, and coincident therewith, in position to be loaded with its contents and to have its interior ushed and iilled with inert gas.

Figure 7 is a side elevationof Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a table for automatically moving the container in its carton from loading position to and through the successive sealing positions.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the mechanism with the table.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the container mouth-spreading mechanism.

Figure 11 is a, section through the one form of mouth-sealing mechanism.

Figure 12 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 13 is a detailed side elevation thereof.

Figure 14 is a section on the line I4-l4 of 5 u Figure 15 of a rotary, automatic, container expander, gluer and positioner.

Figure 15 is a top plan view thereof.

yFigure 16 is a section through the cam track of Figure 15 on the lines I6-I6.

Figure 1'7 is a diagrammatic view showing the container mouth open with the spreader plates inserted.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I is a hopper which is supplied with materials that are 15 telescopically arranged within an outer sliding zo casing 4 that is preferably spaced therefrom approximately one-eighth of an inch, as will be seen in Figure 4. This casing 4 is guided in its vertical, reciprocatory movement by the guide 1 wheels 5 operating in the oppositely disposed, 25'

vertical tracks 6. Mounted on the lower end of the reciprocating sleeve 4 is a spaced sleeve 1. Between the sleeves 4 and 'l is a space 8 which is supplied with an inert gas such as carbon dioxide gas through the pipe 9. closed. The bottom of this space 8 is open so that the gas .can escape into a container supported over the mouth of the opening 8 and the mouth of the chute 3.

- In this manner the container can be iiushed of its air with the heavier carbon dioxide gas so that the contents of the container will be carbon dioxide gas instead of air; and in this manner the materials to be packaged in the container may descend by gravity, in measured quantities, 40 at the will Aof' the operator.

When the container is mounted upon this ope l mouth of the chute 3 and the open mouth of the space 8, it can be so charged with gas and loaded and then in its loaded condition inserted within the carton I0 designated by dotted lines at the bottom of Figures l and 2. This carton is Vmounted within a cage II and iscarried upon a tabler I2 oran endless conveyor ofany desired character.

Container 'handling mechanism In order to get the relatively thin container from a stack of such folded, fiat containers, I

The top of this space is 30 cut away as at I5a so that there can project upwardly through this cutaway space a vacuum cup or cups I6, from which the air is currently exhausted through a pipe I1. These cups are mounted upon a support I8 that is reciprocated by the pitman I9 from a pick-up position beneath the overhanging mouth of the lowermost container indicated at |911.

The vacuum cup is guided in its reciprocation by a cross rod 20 operatingin a cam groove 2| in the cam plates 22. When the vacuum cup is elevated by the high supports in the cam 23 and the vacuum is applied, thel cup I6 attaches itself to the exposed end of the container |3111r adjacent its open end and thereafter the' lowermost container is moved to the left hand as in-Figures 6 and 7. As it is so moved, the mouth is spread open by the descent of the rod 20 in the cam slots 2| so that the container mouth isopen sufficiently to'enable the container spreading plates 24 and 25' whose ends are in engagement with one another at 26 to enter .the container. The container is movedA over these diverging plates 24 vand 25 by the continuant left-hand movement of the suction'cup and its carrier mecha1 nism. This continues until the rod 20 reaches the end of the cam slots 2| as at 21. At this time the plates 24' and 25', now within the open The plates 23 and 25' are supported pivotally on the'links 28 which are interconnected by rods 23 and 30. Rod 30is connected to swinging arms 3| which are actuated by the pinions 32 and 33'.l 'In this manner the container may be swung from its horizontalposition toits vertical position to be loaded.

The-automatic mechanism of Figures 6` and 'I may be supplanted by a purely manual mechanism such as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 where theplates 24 and 25 have their ends at 26 together so that a container may have its open mouth slipped over these plates. The plates are pivoted on the pivot rods 34. They are normally kept in their collapsed4 position bythe spring 35 attached to the plates at their upper ends at lone end of the spring while the other end of the spring is attached tothe abutment 36.

The descending charging mandrel 1 for flushing with gas travelling over theVv loading chute 3, serves to spread these plates apart and to thereby expand the container'so that it maybe adequately ushed land loaded, and in such condition inserted by -the descending action of this mandrel into the carton I0. 'I'he guide ingers 31 adjacent the mouth' of the carton serveto cooperate in the guiding and arranging-of the container within the carton.A A further form 'o'f automatic container pick-up. expanding and positioning mechanism of vthe rotary type is shown in Figures 14, 15 and 16. In this container a spider 38 is mounted. upon a support 39. -Each of the spider arms 4|l4 pivotally supports at its outerA end of the ro'd 4I a pair of spaced plates 42 which in turn pivotally support at"43 and 44 the containerfspreading Plates 24' and 25.'. The pick-up mechanism is.

. of the container.

the same as that described in connection with Figures 6 and 7.

"Ihe container-supporting plates are held in ltheir horizontal position for this purpose by the -cam track 45 which is -semi-circular.

It rises from the 'entering end at 46 where it isl low, to

'its high point at 41 halfway between its ends. -This high point maintains the plates 24 and 25' in their generally horizontally-disposed position for receiving the container. l After receiving a, container in this generally horizontal position, the container-supporting and spreading plates 24' and 25 move rotatably about the support 33 to theposition at thebottom of the drawings. In this position the support of the cam track has terminated and the containersupporting plate and the container are now in a vertical position. As they continue to move in a circular path towards the station beneath the loading mandrel which will pass into the container, expand the plates 24' and 25' and load' the container, the container passes between opbe loaded and inserted in a carton while other container supports and-expanders are proceeding to pickfupV a container to be positioned preparatory to doing so. i f

Sealing mechanism The container has now been loaded and inserted withinl the carton. The carton iiaps at the topv of the carton indicated generally at 43 are open, asis also the mouth of the container which projects above the top of the carton. As this carton' and its container are moved along by the table I2, a. pair of containermouth-expanding ngers 49 arid 50 are lowered -within the mouth of the container and arethen spread apart to draw the opposite walls of the. mouth of' the container into close relationship.l

This'is ,effected by the pitman 5I which reciprocates, carrying the cross-head block 52 which is inserted withinl the tracks 53 of the guide blocks 54.` This pitman and its cross-head block `carry the slotted links 55 having slots 56. The

scends, the flngers 49 and 50 are spread apart,

and as it ascends, the fingers 49 and 50 are withdrawn from the inside of-the mouth of the container and are brought adjacent to yone another.

The container has within its mouth on the inside of its adjacent walls a' sealing medium that can be caused to adhere so as to seal the mouth This medium may be of any desired character 'such as' adhesive, but preferably a thermo-plastic material which becomes adhesive under the influence of heat and will ad# here either by reason of the heat, or by reason of the combinationof heat andfpressure.

' The naps' 4s of the carton, as the time n spaced heating unit blocks 53 that may be .heated in any desirable manner. This is facilitated by the upper ends of the container walls 58 designated 60, being engaged by the spring guide bars 6I and the feed blocks 61a carried on the transport 4chains 62. The springs 63 actuate these blocks. The chains are carried on sprockets 64 and 65 at their respective ends. Thus the thermoplastic material within the upper ends of the walls of the container are brought into engagement and heated. If the material is of a type that will adhere by heating alone, then no pressure is applied and only a guiding action takes place. If, however, pressure is also necessary, the necessary adjustments can be made as indicated.

Thereafter the sealed upper endo! thecontainer is folded in the usual manner and the top flaps 48 of the carton are likewise folded and sealed, but these` later steps form nof= essential part of my invention.

The container which I prefer to use with this mechanism is set forth and described in my copending application Ser.y No. 114,651, filed December 7, 1936, but this mechanism is not limited to any particular type of container.

One of the advantages of this mechanism is that it may be placed in any production line and may be used in connection with carton-sealing mechanism of conventional character.

My method of charging containers with inert gas and materials is covered by a separate Patent, No. 2,133,367, granted Oct. 18, 1938, while this application covers the apparatus.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a mandrel having means for discharging therefrom materials to fill a container, means of discharging therefrom gas to fill a container, means of supporting a container to receive said mandrel, and means associated with said mandrel for lmoving it intothe container andfor directing the container into a carton to load the container in the carton.

2. In combination, means normally collapsed for supporting a container, a mandrel adapted to engage with said means to expand it to expand said container, and means associated with said mandrel for filling said container first with inert 4 gas, then with loading materials.

3. In combination, means normally collapsed for supporting a container, a mandrel adapted to engage with said means to expand it to expand said container, and means in said mandrel for loading said container, said container support and mandrel being so arrangedthat the move-1 ment of the mandrel will strip the container from its supporting means and means for moving the mandrel and container into a carton.

4. In combination, means normally collapsed for supporting a container, a mandrel adapted to engage with said means to expand lit to expand said container, and means associatedwith said mandrel for loading said container, said container support and mandrel being so arranged that the movement of the mandrel will strip the container from its supporting means and insert said container into a carton and means for supporting a carton in position to receive said container .and the load in the container as delivered by the mandrel. Y

'discharge of the chute, means 5. In combination. a measuring hopper, a. chute forming a mandrel insertable within a container to transport it and fill it, a gas chamber mounted on said chute adapted to discharge adjacent the for reciprocably guiding the movement of said chute and gas chamber, means vof yieldingly supporting said container in the path of said mandrel, and means .of so supporting said retaining .means for the container as to permit the mandrel to pass therethrough to strip the container from said retaining means and insert it in a carton.

6. In combination, a measuring hopper, a chute forming a mandrel insertable within a container to transport it and fill it, a gas chamber mounted 4on said chute adapted to discharge adjacent the discharge of the chute, means for .reciprocably guiding the movement of said chuteand gas chamber, means of yieldingly supporting said container in the path of said mandrel, and means of so supporting said retaining means for the container as to permit the mandrell .to pass therethrough to strip the container from said mandrel and insert it in a carton, said supporting means comprising a pair of spring-pressed plates pivotally supported in spaced relationship a distance suillciently far apart to permit the mandrel to pass between said pivotal supports.

7. In combination, means of selectively extracting a container from a stack of containers and opening the mouth of the container, means of .mounting said container on an expansiblevsupport, means of moving said support from a horizontal position to a vertical position beneath a mandrel, and a mandrel adapted to pass within and expand said support, to load said container and strip it from saidsupport to introduce it into a carton.

8. In combination, means of selectively extracting a container from a stack of containers and opening the mouth of the container, means of mounting said container on an expansible support, means of moving said support from a horizontal position to a vertical position beneath a mandrel, and a mandrel adapted to pass within and expand said support, to load said container and strip it from said support to introduce it into a carton, said loading means comprising means for introducing an inert gas to flush said container with gas and means to load material into thecontainer. y

9. In combination, means to selectively select, open and mount on a support a folded container, means to move said container so supported into loading position, and means to expand said support to expand the container, simultaneously load vaV with materials and gas the container and strip it from said support.

10. In combination, means to vselectively select, open and mount on a support a folded container, means to move said container so supported into loading position, and means to expand said support to expand the container, simultaneously load Iwith materials and gas the container, strip it from said support, and introduce it into a carton.

11`. In combination, normally collapsed means of yieldingly supporting a container, and a gassupplying mandrel adapted to be inserted therein to expand said supporting means while gas delivered'by said mandrel loads said container with I Said gas.

12. In combination, means to support a stack of folded containers having open mouths at one end comprising a slotted platform, a vacuum' cup adapted to be brought into opposite relationship through said slotted platform in engagement with the lower side of the lowermost container, means for moving said vacuum cup downwardly and outwardly to open the mouth of said container, an expansible support adapted .to receive said container, means of moving said expansible support sopas to withdraw the lowermost container from the bottom of said stack, means to present said container in a .diierent angular position after being so mounted on the support, and means for applying adhesive toat least a portion of the surface of said container as it is being moved into its diierent angular position.

13. In combination, a plurality of spaced pivotally supported expansible container supports, rotatable means -adapted to support said container supports in horizontal and verticallposltions, means to present said supports in successive horizontal and vertical positions as said supporting means rotates, means to mount a container on one of said supports when it is in its horizontal position whereby the container so mounted is moved o n its support from a horizontal to a. vermeals? tical position, and means to load said-container comprising means insertable through said support into said container to load the container and 1 expand the support.

14. In combination, a plurality of spaced pivotally supported expansible container supports, rotatable -means adapted 4to support said con-` tainer supports in horizontal and vertical positions, means to present said supports-in successive horizontal and vertical positions as said supporting means rotates,-means to mount a container on one of said supports when it is in its horizontal position whereby the container so mounted is moved on its support from a horizontal to a vertical position, means to load said container comprising means insertable through said support into said container to load the container and expand the support, and means for applying adhesive to at least a portion of the exterior of said'container as it moves from its horizontal to its vertical loading position.

MELVIN WAGNER. ,Y 

